AI Damage1990 Buick Reatta: common problems
Owners of the 1990 Buick Reatta filed 29 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 29
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 83% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 3% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 3% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 3% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 24 complaints (83% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 2 complaints (7% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (3% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (3% of all).
- Visibility: 1 complaints (3% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 29 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 24 | 2 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Upon impact, the driver's side air bag did not deploy. Also, there were no injuries. Dealer has been contacted.
The car has an automatic heating and air conditioning system. This system will not allow you to turn on the defroster to clear the windshield from fogging up when the outside temperature is above 39 degrees fahrenheit if the car is low on freon.
The abs warning light has come on many times. Dealer not able to determine any problem. Then during july and august of 2000 more consistant problems began to occur. Very bad pull to one side upon braking on one occasion and a stiff pedal with greatly reduced braking effectiveness.
Both times we experienced total brake failure. The brake pedal was "hard" (would not move). Both times there was no warning ie. No abs light on dash and no brake light on dash. Both time the failure occured while driving at a low rate of speed so there was no damage to the car or diver.
Also have had brake failures at road speed where car swerves when brakes applied. Have taken car to dealer many times and they can't find anything wrong. Have contact with many reatta owners who have this same dangerous condition that can't be resolved by the dealer.
The vehicle's frame has prematurely rusted and corroded, causing loss of vehicle control.
In all around weather it hard to start the car and when driving car stalls . Tt
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,958 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Reatta has 9 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 29, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1990 Buick Reatta?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, structure, air bags. Total complaints: 29. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (28%), warning lights, check engine (14%), airbags did not deploy (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1990 Buick Reatta?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1990 Buick Reatta from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1990 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.